Dear Sister
by dear.lilan
Summary: Modern Day AU. Zuko and Azula's relationship is rocky, to say the least. But despite their clashing personalities, they're still brother and sister, and nothing will ever change that. Hurt! Zuko
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for the lovely reviews on my other story! Hope you like this one.**

It had to be one of the most awkward dinners Zuko had ever had.

There was a ridiculous number of pillows supporting his back as he was half sitting on his bed, and another one in his lap, right under the sling his left arm was in. A tray with fried chicken and rice sat on his right, where Zuko's mother, Ursa, was sitting on a wooden bench as close as she could from the boy's bedside.

Azula had been sitting on his left, in a similar bench before she stormed out of the room.

First of all, having dinner together wasn't exactly a habit of Zuko's family.

* * *

'Your brother is going to be fine, by the way.' Ursa stated, unable to hide the twinge of bitterness in her voice, as Azula dropped her bag on the kitchen counter before heading to her room.

'Maybe he was lucky this time.' The girl told no one in particular, almost mockingly, from inside the room. Ursa sighed and prepared another icepack for her son, wondering what could have gone so wrong for her kids to get along so terribly.

* * *

Secondly, even if they were having dinner together, it would be anywhere - the kitchen, the living room, even in the bathroom - except Zuko's room.

* * *

'I'm going out.' Azula announced as she walked towards the front door of the small appartment. She was wearing a red fur jacket and denim jeans, a pink hanbag in her hand, and had straightened her hair, letting in fall down to her back.

Ursa tossed the frying pan aside and rushed to the door.

'You are not going anywhere Azula.' She faced her with a stern look. She had bags under her eyes, her long brown hair was pinned in a messy bun and her apron had some fresh stains in it. Usually, she didn't have to fix dinner. Today had been different, and Azula could even see a small burn in the inside of her wrist, most likely from the boiling water for the rice she had been cooking.

Ursa looked like she was under a lot of stress. Not that it wasn't common - it was. A nurse has to be able to work for many hours straight, deal with the pressure of having lives in her hands and handle it well enough to stay sane. And it was normal for Azula and Zuko to see their mother home at nine (when she didn't work an extra shift), tired and cranky.

This time, however, Azula could understand the the stress her mother was under was a whole new kind if stress.

She didn't want to think about it though. That was why she needed to go out.

'See you later, Mom.' She was about to close the door, but her mother grabbed her wrist before she could do so.

'You are having dinner here, young lady. With us.' Ursa's voice was strained but fierce as she looked her daughter in the eyes. Azula was ready to protest, before her mother gave her a stern look. 'That's final.' She didn't know why, but she got inside, closed the door and threw her pink handbag fall to the coffee table in the living room.

* * *

Ursa was always in control. Always.

Although quiet most of the time, she did her best so that her beautiful soft smile was always in her face. As a mother, she was sweet and caring most of the time, but had no problem using a harsher tone when she had to. But neither Zuko or Azula could remember her raising her voice, even when they were little.

* * *

'Sure. I'm on my way, I'll be there as soon as I can.' She hung up the phone, took a deep breath and collected herself. She took her scarf, her umbrella and car keys and took the elevator to the parking lot floor. Once she got to her car, she threw her things to the backseat and drove as fast as she could under the speed limit to the local clinic.

The school principal was near the main entrance. 'How is he? Is he okay?' Ursa combed so,e strands of her soaked hair out of her face, trying to look more presentable. The green umbrella had been left forgotten in the backseat of her car. The principal was a woman in her mid forties, with short black hair tied in a ponytail and round, warm features.

'Follow me.' The woman gestured with her hand to a corridor on the left, and Ursa obeyed. 'Zuko is fine.' She finally said. 'I've talked to the nurse, and they are taking X-rays of him right now. He should be released in a couple of hours.'

'Thank you for staying here with him.' Ursa said. 'But I am sure you have other obligations and things to do. You don't need to stay here, Mrs. Kuree.' The principle nodded.

'I wish Zuko a fast recovery.' She was starting to walk away, but Ursa's voice made Mrs. Kuree turn around again.

'Sorry, Mrs. Kuree... Do you know how this happened?' The woman shook her head.

'I suggest you ask Zuko the details when possible, as I haven't had the opportunity of doing so.' Her steps could be heard echoing through the floor as she walked towards the exit, leaving Ursa in the waiting room.

* * *

This was a different day, after all. And Ursa was not in control.

She had made herself some chamomile tea to calm herself down after tucking Zuko in his bed. Her head was buried in her hands as she tried not to think about all the possible scenarios that could have happened.

Because today, Ursa could have lost her son.

* * *

Her boy was shirtless as he sat on the hospital bed, his dark red hoodie on a chair next to it, which now had its left sleeve ripped and torn, and various dirt and blood stains in the chest area. Zuko looked down, biting his lower lip in pain, as one of the nurses bandaged his torso, and the other started to prepare his wrist to be casted.

Ursa came closer, and her son eventually notice her presence, acknowledging it with a tired smile. She held his hand as he grimaced in pain when the nurse tightened the bandages around his chest.

'Oh sweetie...' She ran her fingers trough his cheek in a comforting way.

Half an hour later, Zuko had his left arm encased in a cast to his elbow and in a sling. The doctor came in and showed Ursa the X-rays.

'Zuko has a bad break in his scaphoid and radius bone, and also a hairline fracture in his ulna.' He explained. 'We'll keep the cast on for two months minimum and we'll see how it recovers from there.' The man moved on to the other X-ray, which showed Zuko's ribcage. 'He has two cracked ribs and a broken one, and his whole back is bruised all over. I suggest lots of ice and bed rest for the rest few days, also sleeping with his wrist elevated.'

After Ursa signed the release forms, she kept an attentive eye on Zuko as the walked towards the parking lot. He was walking with his head down, his cheeks flushed in spite of the cold, and it was pretty obvious he was more in pain than he intended to show.

Luckily, it only started raining when they were inside the car, and Ursa felt her heart ache as she searched for a way to hug her son without hurting him any more.

* * *

'Azula, please bring these to Zuko. Make sure he takes two.' Ursa pointed to a glass of water and two tablets with one hand, while she stirred the boiling water with the other.

'Why does it have to be me?' Azula crossed her arms agains her chest. She had given up on her fancy outfit to go out and was now wearing grey sweatpants and an oversized black t-shirt. Ursa thought she had given up too easily.

'I'm a little busy here, as you can see.' She nodded towards the steaming pan.

'You can go and I'll stay here doing that.'

Ursa stopped for a quick moment to look her daughter in the face, and she found a look of determination. 'No, I want you to go. I really think you should.'

Azula didn't say a word, but grabbed the tablets and the water anyway.

It was seven in the afternoon in the middle of the winter, and it was pouring rain outside. Zuko's room had one of the windows partially open, and the water was wetting the laundry basket beneath it.

The room was lit by the lamp on Zuko's bedside table. Azula stayed still by the door for a while, studying the lump under the covers.

'Here is your pain killing stuff.' She announced, loud enough for Zuko to move a bit and moan in pain. 'Mom said to take two.' The girl waked hesitant steps to his brother's bedside, always keeping a certain distance, and placed the glass of water on the bedside table, next to the lamp, along with the pills.

Zuko groaned as he tried to sit up, his unbroken hand holding his ribs tightly. The broken hand was the closest to his bedside table so he had to twist his whole torso if he wanted to reach his pills with his functioning hand. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option - he liked to think he had a high pain threshold, but he was exhausted.

'Could you...?' His voice came out huskier than normal. Azula seemed to understand as he motioned for the pills. She put them in his right hand and held the glass of water, giving it to him when he took the meds.

'Thanks.' Zuko's face contorted in pain while he lowered himself down to go back to sleep, his lips in a tight line.

'Just so you know,' Azula said, 'I don't _owe_ you anything.'

Zuko made a short nod, before turning his back to her. 'Okay.'

'I could have handled it on my own.' Azula was raising her voice.

Zuko's response came out almost unexpressive, his back still facing his sister. 'Okay.'

Azula left the room without a word.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is part two. Enjoy it :)**

 **By the way, I don't know why, but it makes more sense for me to write Zuko being left handed. I know we can see him writing with his right hand in the Invasion episode, but, I'll make things differently here. Sorry.**

Azula wasn't herself that afternoon.

No one knew exactly where her personality traits had come from, but everyone knew her very well - Azula was plain evil. People at school feared her. She wasn't one to pick a fight, but whoever stood in her way, she made sure he or she would be _destroyed_.

She hadn't many friends, only two as a matter of fact - Ty Lee and Mai - and the three girls knew each other since they were very little.

Ty Lee was the youngest and the happiest. She was the complete opposite of Azula, and people often wondered how could the two girls be so different and get along so well. Ty Lee was popular, not because of her evil, manipulative ways, but because everyone genuinely liked her. The big parties everyone went to were usually at her house, and she was normally the life of the party, especially when she started dancing.

Mai was the quiet one, but also the one who called Azula out whenever she crossed the limit. It was difficult to form a clear opinion of Mai. She rarely talked or showed any kind of emotion, and some people could think she thought of her as superior. She and Zuko were good friends too. Mai didn't invade people's privacy very much, and Zuko wasn't the kind of guy who liked heart-to-heart type of conversations. A look of sympathy and understanding was all they shared if it was needed.

Despite her two year difference from Zuko, Azula had made his school life _hell_. Her brother wasn't the popular social type, and often preferred to be alone, listening to music with his headphones. She had done everything evil she could imagine, since tripping him purposely on a hallway to spreading embarrassing childhood pictures of him through social networks. Of course, another of Azula's main target was Katara, a girl in her class, whom Zuko had a crush on. This upsetted him deeply, so he always came to defend Katara, turning his sister's attention to him again.

At home, Azula wasn't very different, but she normally spent her time at parties or clubs, returning in the middle of the night, and even though Ursa was against it, there was nothing she could do, as she too was at work most of the nights.

But as strained as her relationship with Zuko was, Azula couldn't act like her usual self today, after what had happened. She didn't want to be home, she wanted to ignore everything as much as she could until everything could be forgotten. However, something like this couldn't, wouldn't be forgotten so soon.

* * *

Ursa started the car, occasionally glancing at Zuko, who was beside her, to make sure he was alright. She had already arranged to work the night shift at the hospital, so that she could take care of Zuko for the rest of the afternoon.

'Zuko, how did this happen?' She asked softly. The sixteen year old had his good arm holding the other against his chest, under the sling, and his eyes closed - he was exhausted - but opened them slightly, facing the road in front of him, shining with the heavy rain that was pouring.

'I was hit by a car.' He simply said, bracing himself for his mother's reaction. He knew she would explode.

And he was right. 'You were what?!' Ursa yelled. Zuko sighed. 'How did that happen?'

'I don't wanna talk about it.' His voice cracked in the middle of the sentence.

'No, Zuko, I want to know how that happened!' Ursa exclaimed. 'How many times have I told you to be careful and-'

'I said I don't want to talk about it!' His voice sounded irritated, but it was the frustration that made him scream at his mother. Zuko sighed and his voiced turned soft and raspy again. 'Please. I'm tired.'

Ursa made a sympathetic look as she caressed Zuko's shoulder in comfort, without taking her eyes of the road. 'We'll discuss it later then.'

Zuko had fallen asleep in the car and was only half awake when his mother helped him out of the car and into their apartment. He exhaled in relief when he got to his bed, shuffling with his mother's help, and curled on his stomach immediately. Walking was too painful on his broken ribs, and for now, not moving seemed like the best option. Ursa took his sneakers off and stripped him of his dark jeans, leaving him in his boxers. Carefully, she supported his back, helping him sit up (trying to ignore the hiss of pain) and removed Zuko's left arm from the sling, taking his t-shirt off. He held his broken arm agains his chest while Ursa searched for a clean, comfortable t-shirt for him. After having the clean t-shirt on, she lowered him onto the mattress and placed a pillow under the broken arm, covering him with a thick blanket.

Zuko seemed to be asleep once again, but Ursa stayed, stroking his hair and face in comfort, until her phone rang.

* * *

'Azula, dinner's ready!' Ursa had prepared three trays with a bowl of rice and a plate of fried chicken each. Azula and Zuko usually ate in the kitchen, so Azula was very confused when she saw the three trays.

'Aren't we eating here?' She asked, her finger pointing vaguely to the food.

'Your brother is in a bit of pain and it's still hard for him to get up.' Ursa explained. 'So we're bringing him dinner to his room and we'll all eat in there.'

'Seriously Mom?' She exclaimed, indignated. 'I mean, can't we just leave his food in his room and eat like normal people? In the kitchen?' She started to mutter, crossing her arms. 'I can't believe I'm missing the party at Ty Lee's for this.'

'Don't be selfish, Azula, and pick up a tray.' Ursa's tone was stern and severe.

She obeyed, rolling her eyes, and she and her mother brought the food into the room. Zuko was lying down, so Ursa places two trays on the floor, before sitting down on the bed.

'Zuko, sweetie, wake up...' She combed his hair out of his eyes and stroked his cheek to wake him up. With a slight groan, he turned his face to her.

'Mmmm... What is it...' He asked, rubbing his eyes with his good hand.

'I brought you dinner.' Ursa smiled. 'It's fried chicken and rice - you'll love it.'

'Okay. Thanks.' Only then he noticed his sister's presence in the room. Azula had pulled one bench to his bedside and was just sitting there, with a tray in her lap, already eating.

'Now, let's get you sitting down.' Ursa hugged his back and lifted Zuko up, so that he was half sitting, carefully placing some pillows behind his back, picked the sling on his bedside table, fitting his broken arm into it again, and put his tray on his lap. Like Azula, she pulled one of the benches to her son's bedside and sat close to him.

Zuko eyed the chicken wings, and then glanced at his broken wrist. That would be a problem, especially being left handed. 'Uh, Mom?' Ursa raised her eyes from the rice. 'I kinda need some help here.'

'Oh right! Sorry sweetie.' Ursa stopped eating and sat closer to her son, starting to separate the meat from the bones in Zuko's plate, giving it back to him when she was finished. Azula rolled her eyes, but her mother noticed.

'Is there anything you'd like to say, Azula?' Ursa had stopped eating and crossed her arms against her chest. Azula faced her, frowning.

'I'm not stupid, Mom.' She started. 'I know you're making this whole... _apparatus_ , on purpose, just to make me get along with Zuko!'

'Apparatus?!' Ursa exclaimed. 'Do you think this is some kind of game, Azula?! I am doing what I've been doing the whole afternoon because your brother is hurt!' She was screaming now, her voice almost cracking. Azula's face turned red and she stood up quickly, almost sending her tray of food to the floor.

'You made me stay here so that you could just shove into my face that Zuko saved me, and I owe him my life, and that we should get along, because we're siblings...' She then turned to Zuko. 'For your information, I can take care of myself just fine, I could deal with the situation perfectly, and I DON'T OWE YOU ANYTHING!'

'Azula!' Ursa yelled, also standing up. Zuko could only look back and forth between his mother and sister.

'Don't expect me back early.' Azula left her food on the bed and stormed out of the room, and then out of the apartment. Ursa sat with her head in her hands.

'Let her cool off.' Zuko tried to comfort his mother. 'Maybe she'll understand later.'

Ursa shook her head. 'She never does, Zuko.' The boy shrugged.

'I'm sorry, Mom.'


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for the lovely reviews :) Here is part three, enjoy!**

' _Hello_?' The voice in the other line was soft and sounded worried. Ursa didn't recognize it.

'Good afternoon.' She replied waiting for something that identified the stranger on the other side.

' _Um, sorry to bother you, but is Zuko in there?_ ' The voice asked. ' _My name is Katara, and I am a friend of Zuko. I just wanted to know how he is_.' Ursa smiled. It was nice to know Zuko had good friends that cared about him. Besides, the girl sounded nice, and she could only wonder if it was the girl Zuko had a crush on, according to Azula.

'Well, Katara, he is okay, and he's already resting at home. He has a few broken bones, but he just needs some rest and he'll be fine.'

' _I'm glad Zuko is okay. Thank you._ '

'Sure. You're free to stop by if you want. Maybe not today, but tomorrow he should be feeling up to it.'

Katara stammered on the other line, and Ursa guessed she was blushing in embarrassment. ' _I-okay, I'll see if I can - um- stop by..._ '

'Also, Katara,' Ursa felt bad for doing this, but she needed to know. 'Zuko is sleeping now, and with the whole thing at the hospital, I haven't discussed this with him yet - do you know what happened?'

The girl was silent for a few seconds, before she spoke. ' _It was just outside of the school gates. Azula was talking with some seniors near the bus stop. I think they said something to her that she didn't like, because she just looked the other way and started running to the street. A car was coming and..._ ' She stopped for a bit, taking a breath. ' _That's when Zuko ran and pushed her out of the way. The car hit him and then...well..._ '

Ursa sighed. 'Thanks for telling me Katara.'

' _I hope Zuko gets well soon._ ' The girl said. ' _I-I have to go. My parents are calling me for dinner. But I'll try to stop by tomorrow._ '

'Sure, come whenever you want. Goodbye.' Ursa hung up and put the phone down. She then put her head between her hands and sobbed.

* * *

The party had started an hour ago and Ty Lee's house was already full of people. Azula rang the bell, waiting impatiently for someone to open the door. Mai showed up, wearing a simple black top and dark jeans.

'Azula,' She seemed surprised, 'I didn't think you were coming.' Azula rolled her eyes.

'Let me in, I still have to change.' Azula brushed past Mai, moving towards the bathroom. The two girls got inside the division, straightening up the clothes that were inside Azula's bag.

'Why didn't you get dressed at home?' Mai asked. 'I thought your Mom didn't have a problem with your clothes.'

'I left in a hurry.' Azula said rispidly as she applied some black mascara. Mai looked down, putting Azula's previous outfit inside the pink handbag.

'How's Zuko doing, by the way?' She asked. 'Is he alright?'

Azula gritted her teeth. Even when she ran away from the situation, it still followed her wherever she went. She just wanted to _forget_. To forget Zuko's arms pushing out of the way and throwing himself to that car. To forget the image of his brother exhausted and in pain, lying on his bed, because of her. To forget her mother's words 'stop being so selfish'. Azula would do it the usual way. Azula would drink to forget. 'Yes, my brother is fine. Let's go.' They left the bathroom and went to find Ty Lee, who should be somewhere inside the crowd.

Two hours later, and Azula had already drunk much more than she should.

* * *

Zuko woke up with someone knocking on the front door.

The alarm clock on his bedside table indicated that it was three in the morning, and Ursa had left a few hours ago to work. He tried to get up, but quickly remembered his injuries as a wave of pain in his chest and left arm made him lie back down. He groaned as he got up once again, slower and more carefully, shuffling with small hesitant steps to the door. Opening it, he met his sister's face. Her gaze was glassy and she was leaning against the doorframe.

She smelled like a liquor store.

He sighed and let her in. Azula didn't say much - she just dragged herself to her room and collapsed on her bed, and seemed to be asleep instantly.

He went back to his bed, curling on his stomach under the covers, and he too was asleep too in a matter of minutes.

* * *

Her brother was lying on a hospital bed, tubes coming out of him and machines beeping around the bed. His skin was as pale as the white sheets covering his skinny body, and his chest, Azula noticed, didn't seem to be rising and falling. In fact, Zuko didn't seem to be even _alive_.

The door busted open behind her.

'This is all your fault! Look what you've done!' Ursa's face was red as she screamed, one finger pointing to her son. Azula heard machines beeping more, and her mother was still yelling, but she couldn't pay attention. The sound was distant and her mind was swimming.

Until there was a flat line on the screen and the beeps turned into a constant one.

'You are a _monster_!'

When Azula woke up, the room was spinning and she was crying. She felt the start of a migraine. Noticing she was still wearing the clothes she had in the party, she decided to change into something more comfortable. However, when she tried to get up, a wave of nausea hit her, and she knew immediately what was going to happen.

With quick steps, she made it to the bathroom, collapsing on the floor besides the toilet just in time to empty her stomach.

Images of her dream flashed through her head. Dead Zuko. Her mother yelling at her.

'You are a _monster_!'

Why had Zuko saved her? She couldn't remember a single good thing she had done for him. Ever. And then, just like that, he saves her life. He risks his own life to keep her safe. In one afternoon, Zuko had done more for her than she could have ever done in her whole life, and still she had managed to be the usual selfish person she was. Leaving th school with her friends after the ambulance left with her brother. Getting home and close herself in her room. Going to a party, get drunk, instead of staying with him while her mother was working.

She did felt like a monster.

'Are you okay?'

Zuko was at the door, holding his left arm against his chest, a true look of concern on his features. Only then Azula realized she was sobbing, hugging her knees on the bathroom floor. He slowly sat on the edge of the bathtub, close to her.

'I-I don't want to talk about it.' This time, Azula's tone wasn't mean or disdainful. She just sounded sad.

'I know you don't usually get drunk enough to have a hangover.' Zuko said. 'And I certainly know it's not usual for you to cry. I know today has been crazy. Please talk to me.' They just stayend in silence for a few moments. Azula couldn't look her brother in the eyes.

'You could have died today.' Azula stated after a while, in a low voice.

'Is that what's bothering you?'

She shook her head. 'Why did you save me?'

'Because you're my sister.' He shrugged.

'But I'm not...' She sighed, trying to find the right words.

'You're not what?' He frowned.

'I'm not _worth_ saving.' Zuko lowered himself to the floor, next to her, leaning agains the wall.

'And why not?'

Azula started crying again, her body shaking. Her eyes stared into Zuko's, and he could swear he had never seen her like this. 'Because I'm a monster.'

And then she collapsed, sobbing once again, her face in her knees. Zuko put his good arm around her lightly, expecting his sister to duck away from him, but she buried her head on his shoulder and crying, soaking up his t-shirt. His hand rubbed circles in her back.

'You're not a monster, Azula.' She looked up at him, her face red from crying.

'How can you say that?' She asked. 'This is all my fault. And I could have made it better this afternoon. I could have gone to the hospital with you. I could have stayed with you in your room. I could have had dinner with you and I could have told you how _grateful_ I am to have a brother who risked his own life to save mine.' Tears were running freely down her cheeks once again. 'But I didn't.'

Zuko sighed. 'I know our relationship is not the best. And you probably did a lot of stuff you shouldn't have done in the past, and I've always wondered if that person is really you.' He said. 'But the fact you feel bad right now shows you are not a bad person. If you are feeling guilty, you do have a conscience. A good one. You're not a monster, Azula.'

'I'm so glad you're not dead.' She hugged him tightly, and he had to control himself to not groan in pain when his ribs protested. But his sister hugging him like that was something that hadn't happened in a really long time, so he easily ignored the pain, and hugged her back the best he could.

After a while, she pulled away, wiping her face. 'We should probably go to bed. You must be tired.'

'Yeah, let's go.' He got up slowly, leaving the bathroom, and Azula followed him.

Zuko was lying in bed when his sister got in the room, not using her party clothes anymore, but wearing sweatpants and her black t-shirt again.

'Everything okay?' He asked. She looked down and sat on the bed next to him.

'I, um,' She sighed, 'I don't think I can sleep anymore.' Zuko glanced at his alarm clock. It was almost six in the morning.

'My laptop is over there.' He pointed to his desk. 'We could watch a movie.'

Azula smiled. Something seemed right for the first time in years.


End file.
